Sure, sure, many of you will never ride a bus. You don’t need to and you don’t want to. But for those who would consider riding a bus, two considerations usually stop them: The bus doesn’t conveniently and predictably get them where they want to go when they want to go there, or they can’t get to the bus.

First-mile/last mile is about the latter. The concept is reflected in building park and ride parking lots in the suburbs, adding bike lockers at some downtown stops for safe storage or bringing buses down a centrally located residential street.

In most major cities, the trend is for different types of transportation to serve different needs. You walk to the bus stop, which takes you to the train that carries you a long distance. The key element, experts say, is each link in that chain has to work.

Houston’s a big place, and not everyone is going to get direct access to transit even with a bike that will fit in your carry-on bag. Otherwise we’ll need a lot more buses. But is there a way to make the system work smarter in your neighborhood?

Bicycle racks on buses, like this one from 2008, are part of the push to make getting to bus stops easier. Photo: LEONARDO CARRIZO, CHRONICLE